LGUs vow to fast-track telco tower construction

THE local government units (LGUs) have vowed to fast-track the construction of telecommunications towers in the country, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines ( ULAP) National President Dakila Cua said on Wednesday.

He said the LGUs would work with the government agencies and telecommunications companies (telcos) to improve the information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure in the country.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( DILG) recently announced that it would now take less than a month from the previous six to seven months to acquire government permits for the construction of telecommunications towers.

The DILG and Anti-Red Tape Authority, together with other national government agencies (NGAs), issued a joint memorandum circular (JMC) streamlining documentary requirements and processing time for building permit applications on shared passive telecommunications tower infrastructure.

Cua assured that ULAP would urge its members to abide by the JMC and work with the DILG in case issues with the implementation arise.

“We all want to do our share to improve telco services in the country, and I am sure all LGUs will do their best to comply with the JMC issued by the DILG. However, there may be some unforeseen situations on the ground that have not yet been factored in the drafting of the JMC,” he explained.

Cua, who is the governor of Quirino, expressed support for national government initiatives to streamline the processes involved in securing permits to build cellular towers.

More telco towers are a vital component in LGU efforts to adapt to the “new normal,” Cua acknowledged.

In his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Rodrigo Duterte urged the government, especially the LGUs, to take their services online to avoid long queues.

“Increasing LGU presence online makes sense, but together with this we also have to make the internet more accessible to our constituents, and one way we can do this is by improving data services in the provinces so they can go online with their smartphones,” Cua said.

In the said JMC, the LGUs and NGAs shall only require documents stipulated in the memorandum and are prohibited from requiring anything else from applicant network providers.

The reduced requirements are barangay ( village) clearance and documentary requirements for building permit applications on common towers such as unified application form for the Locational Permit, Fire Safety Evaluation Certificate, select ancillary permit and accessory permits requirements, among others.